Is it worth the time....worth the sacrifice?

As with doubleanti, im spending MONDO TIME on this board, and with c programming. It's like taking over my life. In my spare time, I always find myself coming to the computer to do this. Each day this is the schedule: School (7:00 - 2:45), Swim practice (3:00 - 6:00), Home (6:30 - 10:00) - doing homework if it's due tomorrow otherwise programming or on cboard.

is it worth it to do programming. what would you consider, in general, someones chance when they start programming at 14, to have it be a possibility as a career choice? Is this worth the time? Or should I move on, and focus more on my real life? I mean, on weekends I always do stuff with my friends, but I do spend a lot of time programming and on cboard. Is it worth the time to do it now or will it not get me anywhere?

Don't give up your everyday life for this board, but at the same time if you have a dream to be a programmer one day then definitely don't give up on programming entirely. Do it all with moderation.

No, do what you feel like (not every smart ass 14 year old is the programming equivalent of Mozart, no matter what they think).

What happens in ten years time when you decide that you want to be an accountant?

Different situation on this end. I just plain got tired of it. I never really wanted to become a programmer, per se, I just wanted into a field I was interested in. Well, I began feeling some ambivalence towards CS a little over a year ago. At first I thought I was being lazy, but now my grades are starting to suffer.

So I sought help. Spoke with a couple of counsellors at work and at school, and I made a decision. I have changed my major to Anthropology. :D

Anthropology has always been my passion, but I never thought of claiming it as my major becuase I don't want to curate a museum. I wouldn't mind digging, as I've gone to some digs in Belize and loved it! Then I spoke with a rep from the FBI (who was interviewing me for an internship with them in CS). Well after the interview he asked me why I was taking so many ANT classes. I told him ANT was my minor. He said he had an appt w/a grad student in ANT for an intership as a Forensic Anthropologist (which is what I've always wanted to do, but figured CS would bring me more money).

Well if I would have known the FBI and CIA both hire Forensic Anthropologists, I would have majored in it in a heart beat.

And now I have changed my major and feel no regret! I'm going to be doing something I really love and paid rather well for it!

So I say to all of those who are having second thoughts and doubt about CS or programming as a career choice:

Would you rather wake up looking forward to work becuase you do something you love - or would you rather do something you do not enjoy, only for a paycheck? :confused:

Another swimmer, alright. Focus on that. I used to be a sprinter/butterflier (and a pretty good one I might add).
At 14 I don't think there's much professional opportunity for you quite yet but I wouldn't give it up entirely. If you enjoy it, then do it. If you're not having fun at your age then try something different. You've got quite a bit of time to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life so try a lot of different things and stick to something you enjoy. It never feels like work if you enjoy what you do.

>>is it worth it to do programming

Really the point is: Do you enjoy it? Anything you enjoy doing, is worth doing. I mean really, when its all said and done, the only point in being alive is to have fun. ;)

P.S. Waste your time while you can. All too soon you'll wake up to discover you've got very little left to waste with. ;)

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Originally posted by Sorensen
No, do what you feel like (not every smart ass 14 year old is the programming equivalent of Mozart, no matter what they think).

What happens in ten years time when you decide that you want to be an accountant?

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Err.....I already am an accountant.........

Holy cow!!!! What the hell am I doing here??!??!?!

I love CS and programming, but what I'm wondering is how easy it'll be for me to get out of college and find a job in a CS/programming field that I enjoy.

My cousin's some computer genious and he was actually getting offers before he even graduated! I never get to talk to him since he lives in georgia, though...so I dunno if I'm better than him or not :p I remember talking to him about it at a wedding once, and my mom oh-so-annoyingly started spouting off what she'd seen of my programming (which was very little) and him sort've laughing in a slightly condescending matter that I think only I picked up. Oh well...he's apparently a linux'er, I think, and I didn't help the situation by telling him I loved C# :D


But anyway, where was I going with this? Oh yeah. If you really love CS then by all means go for it. Be the best you can and it'll ensure you a job. But if you just enjoy it as a hobby then pick up on something else.